Modern railroad track maintenance equipment typically includes a self-propelled unit having an apparatus for trenching alongside the ends of the crossties and an apparatus for removing ballast from beneath the track. The track remains intact and the machinery is supported on the track rails. The removed ballast is replaced by clean ballast such that the track is not left in an unsupported condition. In many instances the ballast between the crossties has been compacted by years of vibration and settling and thus is tightly wedged between the ties such that when the undercutter removes the ballast from beneath the ties, the interstitial ballast remains suspended between the crossties. Obviously if the ballast is not removed it can impair the proper placement of the replacement ballast. In general, however, the condition is a nuisance. In times past crews have manually loosened the interstitial ballast with hammers; in other instances the track is lifted and bowed to allow the ballast to loosen. However, although the rails are somewhat plastic, lifting the rails necessitates repositioning and realigning and is of some concern. Accordingly, there is perceived a need for a simple and efficient attachment for loosening interstitial ballast.